Where: West Beach, gathering point to be confirmed at a later date.When: Sunday 25th of November

Rock up during the day for a fish, you can catch up with other Strike & Hook fishos, take the boat out at the nearby ramp, grab a SH decky if you need one, fish off the beach. Congregate for a BBQ in the early evening for a feed, beverage and chin wag to top off the day.

Let us know if you can attend so we can gauge numbers. If you have any other comments, ideas, suggestions etc please feel free to post in the --> Strike & Hook End of Year Catch Up topic!

Secret spots

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I started a riot a while back when I first asked for the marks to the Claris off glenelg on a website.The mere mention of the 'claris' sent the w/beach fishes into a state of shock.I didnt get it,.... I was frustrated that no-one would share the marks. Seeing whats happened to claris and one or two other now well known grounds I can understand why .....................Not trying to start another riot, BUT,I reckon until you've been thru the process of seeing one of your best most productive grounds turned into a desert. Your probably not ready to be given the marks to a spot x. You can argue all you like but only those that have been through it realise how valuable and how important it is to keep good marks quiet. Restricted to only the closest of friends.

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Giving out a spot x too anyone means you are prepared to lose it,the person given it might not even give it to anyone( but they usually do) just fish it in a careless manner.Most people tend to think i'm over the top in guarding my spot X,(hell i won't even pull a whiting in front of another fisho) but that usually means they don't have any. cheers brenton

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Yeah, I keep any new spots to myself now, even if you get them to swear secrecy, they get lazy and only fish the spots you show them and they don't ever seem give any new spots your way. I have lost count of how many times I have gone to my usual spots only to find one of my mates (Usually with different people every time) sitting near or sometimes right on the mark! I've put a lot of fishing time in to find productive grounds and I reckon people should understand by abiding by rules of the skipper. Not anymore though.

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I really do believe that if you want secret marks then your going to have to illegally make your own (now Im not promoting or justyfying this, its just how it is). You wait the time, generate the new drop and then hope for all hell that you have it in a spot thats not going to be hit by netters or hope that someone doesnt ping you with a radar.I think weve just got to understand that there are a certain number of fishos out there, the majority even if they have a good mark cant catch fish because there not sitting in the righ spot at the mark and two they dont present baits well, wrong baits etc.Most of these people will give up pretty quick. Ive seen it happen myself, the average trailer boat fisho rocks up at a good mark parks a million miles away, cos they dont know exactly where the mark is, cant figure out the tides or dont know the tides and dont even think to sit in the burley trail that everyone is laying for them.So apart from when the idiots get to close, it really doesnt bother me that much. Most of them go home to early with zero fish, leaving people in the know and exact spot to bag out.I figure, hey the fish are always moving and theres alot of bloody gulf out there to find new spots. I have now received so many gps marks that I cant possibly fish them all, now most probably wont produce but if just ten percent are good then there is a lot of bloody spots out there to try.My problem is I fish with others and can only try spots to try and its hard to leave a spot (Your producing spot) to go and try new marks.This year I want to do it for sure!Lets face it guys, you best snapper Mark is not going to be secret forever, all your doing is buying some time which is fine, but eventually people will figure it out or by some sheer chance they will stagger or arrive on it.Ive got a few spots from Goverment websites to try this season, and I dont even think (Until now I have mentioned this) that anyone would have been fishing. I cant wait to get to some of these spots and see if I am the only one above them?Thats why I love the ocean.Allright let the barrage of comments continue.

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I totally agree Nick for the exact reasons you have put forward.I will continue to guard my Spot X's even as far as drawing pretty pictures at the rear of photos that I post of fish caught on those spots that show landmarks e.t.c. :silly: .Cheers Darren

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The last time I was at Claris just got a nice burly trail going and a boat came upWell ok, thatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s alright, till he dropped his anchor on my prop I was so pissed offThat same web site, Highfly you are referring to was asking for money for that mark you have got to be joking As far as I am concerned the more people know about claries the better DonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t plan to go there anytime Like brenton said I will drop the rod if I have a fish on, whiting or what ever if a boat comes close Just the other week it was a bit rough so I came in close to calmer water and not catching much a few tommies and garfish everywhere, so decided to throw a lure around and try for SnookThis boat must have seen my casting and thought I was on to something and anchored alongside like 10m as he dropped his pick I picked mine up and moved on thatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Adelaide

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You have to work hard not to get pinged on a spot these days. Most spots I won't even anchor 'cos I lose time getting my anchor up. I nearly got pinged earlier this year on a spot that my family has managed to keep to ourselves for around 70 years but a bloody bird was still sitting on the spot as I took off :S There's always some new spot that has just been "pinged" that everyone just has to fish and is the mega zanadu of spots. Once the charter ops get hold of a spot it is usually all over and the spot gets trashed

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Glad Im not the only one then, I remember getting our 20 whiting once in about 15 mins. then having 5-6 boats roll up. We pulled our lines off the bottom and sat there for almost an hour til they all left. Once they left dropped the lines and got our second bag in about 10 minutes. Whenever I take people out even trusted friends I always watch them switch off their phones and always ask if they brought a GPS.I feel like a hound doing that everytime, but if I cant be trusted, Ive taken others... how can they be trusted. One bloke that doesnt move when someone else rocks up can turn a spot that produces bag limits everytime, to a deserted wasteland in a season. I remember reading on a T SHIRT once, only the paranoid survive. :PHaving said that some of my best spots have been passed down to me from a discrete, small group of close mates. Its important to me to honour our friendship and trust.

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"Having said that some of my best spots have been passed down to me from a discrete, small group of close mates. Its important to me to honour our friendship and trust. "... I've gotta agree with you here Nick. Losing your trust and integrity means a lot to me but can also wreck what were once good grounds as you say.I find it a lot harder trying to keep offshore spots a secret than the close in ones... if you see a boat 30 to 40km offshore he isn't exactly sitting there after tommies and must be sitting over something worthwhile hence the reason why most boats make a direct beeline for you. Personally, I don't bother trying to ping other peoples spots if I see them catching fish as they'll get fish today and tomorrow it will be my turn somewhere elseIf I find someone onboard trying to ping my spot I'll make no hesitations and chuck their GPS overboard.... it's all a matter of trust

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Whilst on the subject of spots I've heard that a lot of boats are now fishing the Hobart off Wirrina due to the fact that no-one ever dives it because of the strong tidal movementIt seems a waste to still declare it a no go zone if it isn't being used for what it was sunk for. Fisho's would no doubt bring more dollars into the local community than what the diving fraternity are... or am I completely wrong

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i found my secret spot by accident.NOT many have fished this place from the rocks, but others seem to have found it... ive found strange hooks and sinkers at low tide.all due respect to del, softy, jimmy and nathan, i didnt show them this spot, soory lads... i dont know you well enough to put you onto my sweet spot.ive taken sandywhiting and vb4me to it, and they both got fish...the others i took them to A spot... not THE spot...( but where they fished they are in with a good chance if they swim past... softy hooked a nice snapper there and peteren seen me land 3 from the same spot a week later).ive learnt the hard way as well, when i found another tidy hole someplace else for rock snapper, and that used to be my fave spot ,took a few friends, and now i cant catch a fish there... work of mouth, mate tells a mate, who tells a mate, etc etc..i went out there one time, past black point and on for another 2kms.... i kept going as well..3 cars on the spot, and one of them was a bloke i took out and showed himfunny how when some people are shown a nice spot, they suddenly dont have enough room this trip for you to tag along, but there other mates always manage to find a berth.THATS FINE.... NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THIS SPOT, and since jimmy is now making his 3rd trip up, im going to take him NEAR it.VERY CLOSE in fact, and he should be able to grab a nice snapper or 2 this weekend.fingers crossed.HE IS SWORN to secrecy....last thing i wnat is this spot to be hammered... ,otherwise i have to go on a hunt again.i know when this place starts to happen, but come january, i fish 20kms away from it, at another spot that normally produces.

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I took a mate and his son to a snapper spot in the middle of the Gulf earlier this year and we bagged out on big snapper in minutes.. he proceeded to tell his son that this is a secret spot etc etc. The following saturday I bagged out at this spot at daylight and was heading for home when my "mate" passed me on the way out to this spot and onboard were 4 of his mates... he proceeded to tell me some bullshit excuse why he'd ventured out there........ He is now off my xmas snapper list and will never be trusted again

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I took a mate and his son to a snapper spot in the middle of the Gulf earlier this year and we bagged out on big snapper in minutes.. he proceeded to tell his son that this is a secret spot etc etc. The following saturday I bagged out at this spot at daylight and was heading for home when my "mate" passed me on the way out to this spot and onboard were 4 of his mates... he proceeded to tell me some bullshit excuse why he'd ventured out there........ He is now off my xmas snapper list and will never be trusted again

EXACTLY.... now i spend enough money to chase my style of fishing, but it would be far cheaper than running a boat.im up for a few sinkers, bit of line and diesel fuel for the truck to get me there. im not paying boat rego, launch fees, 2 stroke fuel, and insurance on the boat to chase what i target..but if i have to drive all over the place to try and find new spots i will do so, but its something im not a big fan of doingANYONE who knows me, will know i have a wide area of fishing that i do, and my good spot doesnt get hit everytime either.i can easily drive past it and try someplace else... done that many times...even new places ive not tried before.who knows... maybe it will be a NEW sweet spot

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Having said that some of my best spots have been passed down to me from a discrete, small group of close mates.

This is what I think about when I hear all the talk of secret spots and not handing them out!I find it hard to believe we all worked, did the hard yards, and found these secret spots ourselves, as we now advocate others should do!Think back! How many of your secret spots were actually given to you by someone else?This is why I don't mind sharing a few spots with anyone genuine who needs a hand!Sure if someone entrusts me with a spot they give me, then naturally I'll keep that to myself and respect what they've shared with me.If anyone is looking for a spot though, or needs some help, I'm happy to give them a few marks to help them out and get them started, because others did exactly the same thing for me to get me started.When we look at spots like the Culverts, Goannas, Freds, Clarries, Sub Moorings, John Robb, etc, etc, these are hardly what you'd call a secret. Every man and his dog knows of this structure, or if you want them a quick search of the net will put you straight on to them, but newcomers don't have a clue yet and so they come asking. As well as the structure I also fish areas like the Silt, The Black Pole, The Bastard Pole, The North West grounds, the Naval grounds, Semaphore Reef, Grange Tyre reef, Minda, Bower Rd, etc, etc which is just broken bottom or weed beds. It's places like these though which I hear all the whinging about, how you shouldn't mention them or you'll ruin them! Geez, it's only newcomers to the game who DON'T know about them yet, probably because they've never been in a boat before or heard of a GPS mark before! Seriously, who really doesn't know where the Goannas, the John Robb or The Silt ground is? They are the commonest grounds out there, they are in any book you can pick up in a tacklestore, there are boats out there every weekend, yet this is where I go fishing and this is where I pick up my catches.I only have a small tinny so I don't like to travel any more than about 10-15k's for a fish, and if someone wants a hand with any of these areas, I'll gladly give them a ground or two to try out. It might just be broken bottom over a large area they can sound around to find their own little mark, but it holds fish!When it comes to your secret snapper reef made from a few shopping trolleys, a fridge or a few pallets it's a different story! I only have one or two of these marks, they were given to me by someone else, so I respect their privacy and keep it very much to myself.I really think we are here to help each other out though. Whether it be help purchasing a boat, using a sounder, tying a rig, selecting tackle or operating safely. Surely if someone wants a spot or two to get them started we can also help out here. None of these guys are asking for state secrets, they just want a location which will give them half a chance at a fish until they gain a little experience of their own. Ya give them the Goannas, Freds, the Barges, the John Robb, etc and they are happy. They can head out there pull in a few fish, get the hang of things and then start finding their own grounds.The big secrets can still remain big secrets to the few who fish them, and that rock or piece of structure you found by chance can still remain your own mark. If anyone asks for it, you have the right to remain silent.

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You know what,Isnt life great, Of all the times for him to head out..... he got busted. Lifes funny like that...... Now whenever he sees you I only fish with the same few friends, friends I can trust. Hardest part is taking the risk with new people, worth it though you could find some top blokes to add to ya group of trusted. If they open the hobart you could imagine the mayhem, anchors pulling, ripper current. Enforcing certain dates for boats other for divers ?Logistical nightmare. Dont think its strictly enforced out that way anyway.

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To trust someone with secret spot you've worked hard to find is to take a massive leap of faith in that person.Good fish get caught and with all the excitement of a good catch or a good day some guys are unable to keep the beans from spilling out of there mouths, loose lips sink ships unfortunately and all really good secret spots have to remain that, Secret!!Usaully its the guys that dont do the hard yards that run thier mouths and fish the cream and turn it to poo.They get your spots and then you dont ever fish those spots again with them because they are to busy showing everyone else what a good spot they have found..Got to love it aye?

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"It's places like these though which I hear all the whinging about, how you shouldn't mention them or you'll ruin them! "Tony, the topic is about secret spots and not the well known spots..... that's why they're secret 'cos you and others don't know about them There's lot's of "structure" still out in the Gulf that only a small minority know about.... I could list a lot of them but then they wouldn't be a secret but they range from sunken sharkboats and old prawn trawlers, old barges, a plane and a jetfighter, lot's of shipping containers to natural reef structure of coral, sponge and scallop beds. The new technology in fishfinder's has been a great advantage. Using my HD DS500x Raymarine I've managed to locate areas of sponge and scallops out in the middle that I normally would have driven straight over on the way to other areasPersonally, I've never been backward in helping others out in regards to snapper fishing.... it's no big deal. Yes, I've put in a lifetime of searching and learning but it doesn't stop me from steering people on their own path to catching their own snapper as we all had to make a start at some stage

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Having said that some of my best spots have been passed down to me from a discrete, small group of close mates.

Think back! How many of your secret spots were actually given to you by someone else?

Not bloody many thats for sure,and i would treat them like i do my own ....secret squirrel all the way.I will say though that of the spots i've been asked for and given that i have been pleasantly surprised by the reciprocal nature of the net fishing community,but i also know that hasn't been everyone experience. cheers brenton

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Agree with fishie theres a lot of grounds out there.If you sound around slowly in the right areas there are drops and natural reefs everywhwere. Its tough not to share, you want to bring joy to your friends. Everyone likes putting their mates onto fish. Problem is you take someone especially if they've been struggling, they have the best fish of their season, you show them where the fish are and then say, YOU CAN NEVER COME BACK HERE AGAIN !How can you do that, its tough. When they get back with their pb fish how can they not tell their friends ?Went out with such and such, oh yeah where ?The only way is to just not talk about it with those you cant take, you cannot share your joy and experience. If you share your success and dont take em they will resent you. If you do take em you may lose your ground even worse a mates ground. How'd your fishing go, ohh yeah alright, how you been

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With the latest chartplotters and quality info given on the electronic charts it's not too hard to do a bit homework and study the charts for productive snapper grounds.... the first thing to look for would be an immediate drop or rise in the sea level contours as this would indicate a harder bottom than the surrounding area. Secondly, look for areas marked "Co" for coral and other areas marked as shell or gravel etc

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jimmy should have just arrived in whyalla for a rock hopive told him where to set up, and im heading out about 9pm to spool his alvey and show him how to cast it. ive also told him... YOU TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS SPOT, AND ITS THE LAST TRIP AND PLACE I WILL SHOW YOU. AD TRUST ME... IF OTHERS FISH THIS SPOT, I TEND TO FIND OUT FROM THE OTHERS THAT ROCK HOP... surprising how many people you meet out there, who mention what cars were parked in what spot.... its not my REALLY good spot, but its a pretty good spot.and i reckon he will land a few this weekend.

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i found my secret spot by accident. ive taken sandywhiting and vb4me to it, and they both got fish...

It was very very Much Appreciated, and WILL stay with us...I would never Betray confidence like that, ever..I WOULD have never had asked,Nor Banter For ur spot nev or ANYONES Spots for that matter , NOT even My OWN brothers and His Mates, VB has been taken there and CAUGHT BIG with my Bro, he has top spots but Thats THEIR Fishing Grounds,...There Hard Work and Effort, Nor TAKE ANYONE near it... I DONT feel its right too, if you can REALLY think u can trust someone, then I would share too, you end up with the BESTEST Fishing mates, and Top Fishing. Me and VB, since moving here, have pottered off around Stony Point, We have caught Cuttlefish, and Squid, Blueys by the Bundle, but Not the snapper, In the Boat yer...We have a boat..Our Motto is Fish and learn and mark as ya go, you dont get spots over night, and its all good fun finding out on ya own anyway, hey its Fishing, its ALL GOOD Off the rocks in my eyes was more fun..Yep u lose alot of gear, way more then u would in a boat..But there was so much more Appreciation of a catch done that way..

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i found my secret spot by accident.NOT many have fished this place from the rocks, but others seem to have found it... ive found strange hooks and sinkers at low tide.all due respect to del, softy, jimmy and nathan, i didnt show them this spot, soory lads... i dont know you well enough to put you onto my sweet spot.ive taken sandywhiting and vb4me to it, and they both got fish...the others i took them to A spot... not THE spot...( but where they fished they are in with a good chance if they swim past... softy hooked a nice snapper there and peteren seen me land 3 from the same spot a week later).ive learnt the hard way as well, when i found another tidy hole someplace else for rock snapper, and that used to be my fave spot ,took a few friends, and now i cant catch a fish there... work of mouth, mate tells a mate, who tells a mate, etc etc..i went out there one time, past black point and on for another 2kms.... i kept going as well..3 cars on the spot, and one of them was a bloke i took out and showed himfunny how when some people are shown a nice spot, they suddenly dont have enough room this trip for you to tag along, but there other mates always manage to find a berth.THATS FINE.... NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THIS SPOT, and since jimmy is now making his 3rd trip up, im going to take him NEAR it.VERY CLOSE in fact, and he should be able to grab a nice snapper or 2 this weekend.fingers crossed.HE IS SWORN to secrecy....last thing i wnat is this spot to be hammered... ,otherwise i have to go on a hunt again.i know when this place starts to happen, but come january, i fish 20kms away from it, at another spot that normally produces.

no dramas mate! i know how hard it is to find a good spot unspoiled by others! and the last thing you needed was 4 guys camping there all weekend!!! might as well mark it with a huge X :)when the fish are there.. they will bite.. where ever you are.. ive taken softy and a few others to one of my all time favrouite spots.. and 2/3 trips its fired.. the other was dead fishing all day.. but thats fishing..

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jimmy should have just arrived in whyalla for a rock hopive told him where to set up, and im heading out about 9pm to spool his alvey and show him how to cast it. ive also told him... YOU TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS SPOT, AND ITS THE LAST TRIP AND PLACE I WILL SHOW YOU. AD TRUST ME... IF OTHERS FISH THIS SPOT, I TEND TO FIND OUT FROM THE OTHERS THAT ROCK HOP... surprising how many people you meet out there, who mention what cars were parked in what spot.... its not my REALLY good spot, but its a pretty good spot.and i reckon he will land a few this weekend.

That is how it works....i see.

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CanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t really call it a secret spot if it has a car park in front of it ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not as if you have to brush away your foot prints with a tree branch and wear camo gear And besides we could see the smoke from the BBQ from Adelaide

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CanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t really call it a secret spot if it has a car park in front of it ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not as if you have to brush away your foot prints with a tree branch and wear camo gear And besides we could see the smoke from the BBQ from Adelaide

You are missing the point mate, Nev is taking him to another spot...Full of "reach-arounds" and ferret fun.

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becky point might be worth a hit next time have caught heaps of salmon,,, sweep,,, snapper,,, kings,,, gar,,, squid etc etc etc there cheers freddyboy

Dead right fella. good jewy's there at the right time of year too. i was there on a day to see a couple of fellas in a boat shit themselves pull up the anchor and leave.. a pointer smashed a dolphin in two, ate the whole damn thing.. what a pool of blood!

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CanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t really call it a secret spot if it has a car park in front of it ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not as if you have to brush away your foot prints with a tree branch and wear camo gear And besides we could see the smoke from the BBQ from Adelaide

hahahaaha... wear they decided to fish, wasnt where i took them the last time they came up... its about 50mtrs from where softy caught his nice snapper... 50 mtrs is 50mtrs, enough to make a difference, but not that much from the rocks.the fish swim past, they dont live there... peteren fishes this spot where the camped, and has done alright on the snapper from it, when they happen to be there.

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CanÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t really call it a secret spot if it has a car park in front of it ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not as if you have to brush away your foot prints with a tree branch and wear camo gear And besides we could see the smoke from the BBQ from Adelaide

You are missing the point mate, Nev is taking him to another spot...Full of "reach-arounds" and ferret fun.

and your meaning by that softy?where kimmy will be fishing , is still in the same area... indeed we have just got back from a fleating visit to say g'day, and hes camped in the first carpark... all that means is he has less distance to walk.he will be fishing THE SAME SPOT I TOOK YOU SOFTY, in the early morningthen around tea time when i get there, he will be shown the other spot i like.VERY close to where sandy and vb landed their fish.the point is, NOBODY helped me find it, and it peees me off, when i shown people, and then turned up to see them, and 10 mates all with rods in.so now im nore secretive.ANYWHERE FROM THE LIGHT HOUSE, TO WHERE YOU FISHED WILL HOLD FISH... AT THE RIGHT TIME ON THE RIGHT TIDE, ON THE RIGHT DAYi cant put the fish in the water, but i DID put you in the area i thought they might be.and i DO fish this area... PROOF OF WHICH WAS BY DEL AND JIMMY FINDING MY SINKERS....